Bought: Harry Winston, Swatch Group

The Swatch Group has acquired 100% of the shares of the US company HW Holdings, owner of fine jewellery brand Harry Winston, in a deal worth $750 million plus the assumption of up to $250 million of pro forma net debt. The Swatch Group Ltd. now controls the brand and all activities related to jewellery and watches, including the 535 employees worldwide and the production company in Geneva.

Speculation: Investindustrial, Aston Martin

Private equity fund Investindustrial is said to be near agreement to buy a stake in British sports-car manufacturer Aston Martin. Investindustrial, based in London, is said to have trumped Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (MM) to invest in the Gaydon, England-based automaker, but as yet a final agreement has not been signed.

Bought Back: Solange Azagury-Partridge, Labelux

In a continued bid to focus on luxury leather goods and footwear, Labelux have sold jewellery brand Solange Azagury-Partridge back to its founder. This follows the sale of Derek Lam back to its founders in November 2012, and allows the conglomerate to focus on its current portfolio that includes Bally, Jimmy Choo, Belstaff and Zagliani.

Stake: Marni, Only the Brave

Diesel jeans brand founder Renzo Rosso has bought a majority stake in Marni, with plans to re-launch the Italian fashion house on foreign markets. The value of the deal has not yet been disclosed, but the acquisition was made through the businessman’s holding company, Only the Brave Srl.

Acquired: Alain Mykli, Luxottica

Italy’s Luxottica, the world’s biggest premium eyewear maker, said on Friday it had signed a deal to buy French luxury eyewear maker Alain Mikli for around $117 million. The deal strengthens Luxottica’s luxury brands portfolio, the company added in a statement.

Acquired: AR New York, Publicis

Publicis Groupe has acquired AR New York, an agency specialised in working for marketers in fashion, beauty and luxury goods. Founded in 1996, AR works for, or has worked for, brands that include Asprey, Brioni, Dolce & Gabbana, Neiman Marcus, the St. Regis Hotels and Resorts, Valentino and Versace. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Bought Back: Aman Resorts, Adrian Zecha

DLF, India’s biggest real estate company, has sold luxury hotel chain Amanresorts back to its founder, Adrian Zecha, for $300 million. The parties have signed a definitive agreement for a management buyout, and the deal is expected to close by February 2013.

Speculation: Printemps, Galeries Lafayette

French department store Galeries Lafayette is said to be considering a buyout of rival retailer Printemps. The two fashion giants both have huge flagship stores – side by side – in Paris. Galeries Lafayette has already made public that it has significant international expansion plans, with ambitions to open between five and seven new overseas stores before 2015.

Stake: Sri Lim Kok Thay, Wider

Malaysian billionaire Sri Lim Kok Thay, whose luxury empire spans casinos and cruise liners, is to buy half of yacht maker Wider to expand into a fast-growing market in Asia, the founder of the Italian has revealed. Following a capital increase, the Malaysian billionaire will become the single biggest shareholder in Wider with a 50 percent stake owned by his vehicle EXA Ltd.

Bought: Investcorp, U.S. Real Estate

Bahrain-based alternative asset manager Investcorp has acquired five real estate assets in the United States for around $100 million. The investment firm most recently bought Danish luxury retailer Georg Jensen, from private equity firm Axcel Capital Partners for $140 million, following the sale of truck and trailer parts distributor FleetPride to TPG for over $1 billion.

Capital: Rocket Internet, PPR

PPR has invested $13 million into Rocket Internets’s holding company Bigfoot, which includes ‘amazon fashion clones’ in Russia (Lamoda), South America (Dafiti) and the Middle East (Namshi). PPR invested a similar amount in 2012 into fast growing social commerce start-up the Fancy.

Bought: KaDeWe, Signa

Austrian real estate firm Signa has acquired German department store KaDeWe, in addition to 16 further Karstadt locations. The real estate giant paid a reported $1.45 billion for the KaDeWe “Kaufhaus” building itself and the acquisition of Oberpolling in Munich and another Karstadt property.

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